The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-07-20
Gen. Butter on = Lawyers Ou-
les.


embryo lawyers gathered at the Boston
University Law School. The first duty \
Of the young lawyer" said General But
Ter, is absolute fidelity in ones client. I
The lawyer is the adviser and director OF
his client in his business afflrs. You !
are TO do for him what he would do for |
himself did be possess your learning and |
talents.
"Some say. 'Oh, you must not defend !
a guilty man. Why not? Would he not |
defend himselfe You must defend him
as fully and honorably as if you knew
him innocent If you know him inno-
cent it often units even the strongest
man for the defense. | never wish TO de
fend a man unless know that ne Is gull
". Be sure that you find out that he Is
guilty. Some men dislike to confess their
crime to the lawyer for fear that then he
will not care 10 undertake the case. You
must establish a feeling of confidence
with such. Let them know that you
must have all the flcts.
Never allow yourself TO state to the
jury that your client l. innocent II L
your business to act as though it were -.
If YOU know nothing about the circum-
stances you are like an ass jumPirs
around in a lanyard and not knowing
uhere the pits are. Again, never bar
galn with your clients. Giet your fees,
and get them early. If the case fails,
you then will find il somewhat difficult
to collect your fees. Apply to them the
adage
When the ieyil was sick. monk he wcuId be,
B,1f when be was well, the devil a monk vas he.
There is no necessity to say that one
should not disclose the secrets Of the
client. We seldom hear of a trust being
betrayed. In the making Of wills, The
textbooks give the forms. 1t is a case
that calls for thought A son calls you
in to make the will of dying father.
You are not the lawyer for the son, but
for the father Tell him the legal effects
Of every part. Again, if you are ever
asked to be an executor, ask that some
member of the family be appointed with
Won. 1t will save you much trouble If
contest arises. You will be free from
any suspicion You will lose nothing
by this. In any case you will do all the
work take care of the estate, and have
all the emoIuments that fairly belong to
you. You become the counsel of both
sides the moment YOU become the con
veyancer and Discrimination. You must
act thoughtfully and carefully for both.
/ Do not act as a banker. broker or busi-
ness agent for your client, except as con-
nected with his legal rights.
Young gentlemen, you ought not to
lose any of your first cases. for you Will
be employed by the plaintiff The de-
fendant doesn't employ young lawyer.
/ You can study a case before as well as
/ during the trial and ii is your own fault
/ if YOU lose it. / lost three cases now
where, when was twenty-five, lost one.
/ Then was employed by the plaintiff,
now by the defendant, or IN cases that
have been tried OF half tried, where all
I hope of success was dead ard buried. /
| have to take my cases where | can find
them Early in my practice laboring
man came into my Office and said Can
a woman who keeps boarding-house
hold a workingman's clothes for his
board ?- / told him she could not. and
was engaged to make out writ, which
was served. but the woman refused to
give up the clothes. The case was TO
come on trial the following Monday,
when the man came in and asked
Squire, does it make any difference if
tole her she might keep the clothes tiii
paid my board ?'' | told him it did; that
he had no case. But she hain't got no
writing, he said. l told him that made
no difference verbal promise was a
pledge, and would not present his case
to the court, but by fee | was persuad-
ell. much against my will. There was
but one witness to the pledge, and him
recognized as man who had been con-
victed of larceny | objected to his be
ING sworn. and as there were no other
witnesses. the case was decided for my
client, much to my disgust. tell tins
to illustrate the importance of never CIV
ing up a case, even when there seems to
be no hope. When you go in you had
better 20 through, but you had better be
careful how you go in
In your professional conduct with
your associates YOU must preserve perfect
faith. Let your yea be yea and YOU
nay nay If you make an agreement by
word Of mouth, keep it, no matter how
much you regret it. | have always made
it a rule to keep my verbal agreement
: in the way they were understood by th'
other party. But some people always IN
: sist upon written agreement Witt
such man / live up to just what i
written. but take advantage of the mar
if can.
, Stand by your own opinions unue
all circumstances, not that you will al
| ways be right, but you will get you
views of law If you are in doubt, Away
take exceptions to the ruiingofthe judge
If YOU are wrong you can abandon II
. but if YOU let it go you surely lose II
You will be wrong in many points o
law. as | have been, but if you try al
fairly YOU viii win some of them Il
. your university you have been grounded
in the principles of law. Apply thes
principles, and after coming TO deeis
/. ion search the books, and you will fin
that the point has been decided some
: where, though there may be some poin
/. which you have overlooked. 1t is sal
: that law is the perfection of human res
A son. You have bad clear and good il
structions. Apply ii to any point, an
4 Won ought to come to the same decision
: in the same manner. as the learne
A Judge
Where Speed Would Pay.